Mobile data connectivity is already a basic requirement around the globe. Users around the globe employ billions of smartphones and other mobile devices (e.g., wearables) to conduct business using e-mail, Voice Over IP (VoIP) and/or remote telepresence services.
Mobile devices are also used to maintain personal connections and conduct social interactions via applications which share videos, photos and messages. Travelers navigate to and from destinations in various locales using travel applications and digital maps running on mobile devices. Mobile devices are also used by travelers to purchase products and services, pay bills and perform banking services anywhere and everywhere around the globe. Beyond these well-recognized applications for mobile devices, there are countless other applications (e.g., games, social media, etc.) that require a data connection to properly operate.
Despite this reliance on data connectivity, travelers (especially international travelers) find it extremely inconvenient and/or expensive to connect their “home” devices to local mobile networks in other locations. As an example of this inconvenience, travelers may buy a new Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card to replace the “home” SIM in their phone. Purchase of a new SIM is inconvenient for a number of reasons: 1) travelers typically have to locate a shop or possibly a vending machine to purchase the SIM; 2) they would need remove the “home” SIM and replace it, which may require a specialized tool; and 3) because of this replacement, travelers lose their “home” phone number making it more difficult for others to contact them.
Generally, specialized hardware/software/firmware is used to provision mobile data and voice services. This specialized hardware/software/firmware takes the form of a secure element. In certain 3G/4G networks, this secure element may be called a SIM or possibly an eSIM (a more flexible SIM format). In certain other 3G/4G networks (e.g., CDMA), it may be referred to as a user identity module (UIM). For simplicity, secure elements (including hardware/software/firmware elements) which are used to provision mobile data services may be referred to herein as a subscriber identification module or SIM. Currently, without SIM replacement travelers are at the mercy of their home carrier's mobile data roaming pricing, which is typically 3 to 3000 times more expensive than local packages. Mobile data roaming is expensive because it usually involves compensating three parties (home network, intermediary transit service provider, and the visited network), while being governed by Global System for Mobile Communication Association (GSMA) standardized roaming agreements—among different global mobile network operators (MNOs)—that were initially designed for mobile voice roaming and not for data roaming.
Consequently, due to the cost and inconvenience, the vast majority of travelers do not enable data roaming while traveling. Instead, travelers mainly attempt to connect to data services using “free” public or even paid access Wi-Fi services. However, Wi-Fi is not necessarily readily available. For example, in many destinations, Wi-Fi is only intermittently available at select locations (e.g., at hotels, coffee shops, or other public places). When available, Wi-Fi connectivity—even a city-wide installation—is not a true alternative to the level of data connectivity offered by mobile networks. For example, due to Wi-Fi's different limitations including capacity, mobility, handover, and scheduling capability, Wi-Fi does not provide the seamless and reliable connectivity experience offered by mobile networks. Accordingly, the above described travel practices result in a huge unmet demand for mobile data.
Therefore, there is a need for improved mobile data connectivity systems and methods for travelers, especially for those who are continuously “on the go” outside of their home networks.